TOP 5 NIGHTCLUBS HAVANA, CUBA WINTER 2018/2019
TOP 5 NIGHTCLUBS HAVANA
These are the Top 5 Havana nightclubs for the 2018/2019 winter season. Keep in mind that Havana is very safe, even at night, with none of the worries that are common to most countries in the region. At worst you may be charged an extra $5 for a taxi ride back to your hotel or B&B. Most of these are open by 9pm, but don’t get lively until around midnight.
La Casa de la Musica Miramar is Havana’s live-music and dancing institution, with the most popular Cuban bands rotating through the schedule. They have regular schedules on some nights, like Bamboleo for the Saturday matinee, Alain Perez on Saturday nights and the Thursday matinee, and Havana de Primera on Tuesday afternoons. The matinees draw a Cuban crowd that is there to dance. Weekend nights are a local/foreigner mix, with lots of working girls around. This is owned and operated by the Cuban government, but it is run well, and the service is great. This is the best dance-club in Havana, and keep in mind it is very loud. And should you decide you want to hear something different, El Diablo Tun Tun is in the same building and also offers great live music in a smaller venue.
Fantaxy is in the suburb of Playa, and it is spelled with an X. It has a small VIP section in the back, and very loud music. The service here is great, very fast and efficient. Great place to hang-out for a while and dance and drink, reserve a table beforehand if you don’t want to bump and grind to get around.
Up & Down is in Vedado, a few blocks from the Melia Cohiba Hotel and the malecon. They serve cold beers and great cocktails at low prices, with music videos on the TVs and lots of locals dancing. The second floor is VIP but stay on the first to have fun. Depending on the night there may be lots of jineteras and their corresponding male customers, but there are people dancing everywhere and the music is international and up to date.
Efe is on 23rd and F Street in Vedado, hence the name for the letter "F" in Spanish. Go on Friday nights when they have live music, usually a Jazz or Fusion group, with lots of college students and a great mix of locals and foreigners. The drinks and food are great.
Sarao is a schizophrenic club in Vedado that just changed its name to O’La La, who knows what it will be called when you’re there. The crowd varies greatly from night to night depending on the music. The entire second floor is VIP (VIP areas are very popular in Havana) and the food is pretty good. You must order a couple of bottles to be seated at a table, otherwise you stand or better yet dance all night. Live music tends to draw a mostly local crowd, the DJ’s more of a mixed foreign/local crowd.
For those of you wondering what “winter” means in Cuba, it’s from November through April.
Have fun in Havana. See you there!
By Frank Gonzalez